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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. land — ground
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wax — to grow
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. land — a country
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com